What is hardest languages to learn for english speakers?

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For English speakers, some languages pose significant challenges due to substantial differences in grammar, vocabulary, and writing systems. These are often categorized as Category III or IV languages by the Foreign Service Institute (FSI).

The languages often cited as the most difficult for native English speakers to learn include:

  • Japanese: The complex writing system involving <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/kanji%20characters">Kanji Characters</a> (borrowed Chinese characters), as well as <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/hiragana%20and%20katakana">Hiragana and Katakana</a> syllabaries, is a major hurdle. Also, the grammar is quite different, including topic-prominent sentence structure and honorifics.

  • Chinese (Mandarin): The tonal nature of the language, where the meaning of a word changes based on the tone used, can be very difficult for English speakers to master. Furthermore, the <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/chinese%20characters">Chinese Characters</a> are challenging to learn, and the grammatical structure, while simpler than some other languages, still differs significantly from English.

  • Korean: While Korean does have an alphabet (Hangul) that is relatively easy to learn, the grammar is quite different from English. <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/korean%20grammar">Korean Grammar</a> features SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) word order and complex particles.

  • Arabic: Arabic presents challenges due to its complex verb conjugations, consonantal root system, and the fact that it is written from right to left. The <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/arabic%20script">Arabic Script</a> is visually very different from the Latin alphabet.

These languages typically require significantly more study time to achieve proficiency compared to languages more closely related to English (e.g., Spanish, French, German).